Vengeance
by Gwydion
Summary: He had won. Hamato Yoshi was dead and the Turtles were at his mercy. He would make sure that they paid for what they did to him dearly. (Rated M for violence, gore, dark themes, and mild language.)


Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. **Rated M for violence, gore, dark themes, and mild language.**

**Vengeance**

Dim lights in the ceiling barely lit up the dingy, grey room as the heavy, metal door opened with a screech. Varied footsteps echoed in the room which was completely bare save for another door and a large, glass pane on the opposite wall with a small remote control panel hanging next to it. As the leader of the newcomers stepped further inside, he headed immediately for the controls and removed them before moving to stand directly in front of the glass. With the press of a button, the sounds of the captives in the room beyond the glass filled the ears of the unseen captors.

"- ME!? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, HUH!? WE'RE RIGHT HERE! YOU GOT US, AND SPLINTER'S DEAD, SO JUST HURRY UP AND GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE, YOU SON OF A -"

Behind his metal mask, Shredder's lips curled into a cruel smile as he watched the four mutant turtles from behind the two-way mirror. Leonardo had been gripping his youngest brother tightly since they'd been chained and shoved into the abnormally bright room hours ago. Blue eyes wide and filled with tears, Michelangelo huddled on the floor next to the silent, older turtle, shivering with fear. Donatello sat apart from them, unusually calm and quiet, staring unendingly at the chains on his wrists and ankles. Not one of them bothered to try and stop Raphael's rageful tirade which had begun the moment their master's throat was slit in front of them and had yet to cease. He had forced himself to remain standing proudly, despite the bonds around his feet.

"Close the door."

Shredder didn't even bother turning around to see which of his followers obeyed the order, but upon hearing it shut with a harsh clap, his eyes narrowed.

"Tiger Claw, Bradford, Xever, enter the cell and wait for my signal as we discussed. Footbots -" the buzz of them awaiting their orders sounded through the room "- bring Raphael to me."

As Tiger Claw made his way to the door, Shredder's gaze never left the bright cell. He was well aware that he was taking a bit of a risk by using the furious turtle. His head told him that taking Leonardo would provide the best, most predictable results. But Raphael's fierce curses called to him, filling him with excitement. The eldest turtle's quiet defiance was irritating, but there was nothing his heart wanted more than to tear that obnoxious tongue out of the screaming mutant's mouth. Not that it would be necessary. Before long he would render the beast on his knees and speechless using no more than words and the tip of his finger.

Four sets of eyes flew to the door as it creaked open. Shredder simply watched as Leo stumbled to his feet and stood protectively in front of his baby brother before Tiger Claw and Rahzar pulled them apart. Fishface forced Donnie to his feet while the Footbots intercepted Raph who had tried to make his way over to his brothers, shouting profanities. They silently dragged him to the door.

"LET GO OF ME YOU OVERGROWN TIN CANS! I'M GONNA KICK YOUR SORRY -"

"Raph! Raph, no!"

"Stop! Where are you taking him!?"

"Let him go! Don't hurt him!"

The door slamming behind them, Raphael's cries momentarily quieted as the Footbots brought the stubborn turtle to Shredder's side. Without so much as even a glance in the mutant's direction, however, he could feel the rage wearing through the turtle's shock at seeing his enemy face to face.

"You..."

Shredder finally turned, staring down at the wild, green eyes that glared back at him in fury. The Footbots grip tightened as Raph attempted to lunge forward.

"YOU MONSTER! YOU KILLED SPLINTER! YOU HURT MY BROTHERS! YOU REALLY THINK I'M GONNA LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS YOU MOTHERF-"

"Raph!?"

"What's going on?"

"Raph, can you hear us?"

"Be quiet, you pathetic turtles!"

The hidden smile grew as the volatile turtle's head snapped toward the glass upon hearing Tiger Claw's threatening voice. Shredder watched as understanding dawned on him as to the true nature of the mirror in their cell. Each of his brothers was being held to face the glass, forced into a straight line with either claws or a knife at their exposed throats.

"Guys!"

Before he could speak further, Shredder raised the control panel and pressed some buttons. All sounds from the other room ceased immediately, and Raphael's head swung back around to face him.

"I believe it's time that you and I talked privately," said Shredder in a deep voice, lowering the controls. He didn't even attempt to hide the amusement in his eyes at the growl he got in response.

"Why don't you take these chains off so we can do more than just talk?" spat Raph, baring his teeth as he struggled against his robotic captors.

Ignoring the challenge, the leader of the Foot Clan calmly turned, slowly walking away from the glass, his back to his enemy. He stopped in the middle of the room.

"Choose."

There was a brief pause before the turtle responded in confusion. "What?"

Facing Raphael once more, Shredder stared at him, unblinking.

"Only one of your brothers may live. Choose which one."

The silence that filled the room was thick and heavy as the ninja master relished the horror and disbelief that slowly spread across the green face. His prisoner opened his mouth to speak only to shut it again. Shredder couldn't suppress his hidden smirk.

"You can't -" Raph stuttered at last, his eyes wide, "I can't just - I can't possibly just choose one of them! You leave them out of this or I'll -"

"Then perhaps I should kill them all." Shredder raised the controls and pressed another button. "You three -" Raphael's head whipped around as the mutants holding his brothers perked up as Shredder's voice filled the other room, "- kill them all."

"NO! Wait!" cried Raph as Tiger Claw, Rahzar, and Fishface all raised their hands to obey, "Stop!" He quickly turned back around to face his captor. "STOP IT! LEAVE THEM ALONE!"

"Wait."

At their master's command, each one lowered their weapons. Again switching off the speakers in the cell, Shredder glared at the turtle before him.

Raph was practically shaking by now. His eyes were frantically darting back and forth from his brothers to the man that stood before him, and he was gulping the air in short, heavy gasps.

"D-don't hurt them," he mumbled, his gaze at last coming to rest on Shredder, "I'll do anything you want. Kill me if you have to! Just, please..." The turtle fell to his knees. "Please don't -"

"This is not a negotiation." His eyes narrowed dangerously as he looked down at the pathetic mutant that was practically groveling at his feet. "You should be grateful I have given you this opportunity rather than simply killing all of you. Now, who lives?"

At his side, his finger silently pressed a button on the control panel.

"Who dies? Choose."

Raph's entire body was trembling. "But... I... I can't -"

"Choose!"

Giving off an air of impatience, Shredder waited while the turtle bowed his head, refusing to look him in the eye. His hands were clenched in tight fists on the ground as the seconds dragged on. But as soon as Shredder was about to abort his plan for the swifter, less satisfying route, he heard a small but firm answer emanate from his prisoner.

"Mikey."

With a cruel smile, the leader of the Foot quickly switched the speakers inside the cell back off before Raphael spoke again.

"Mikey lives."

Making sure his captive wouldn't open his mouth again and ruin everything, Shredder paused before making a show of raising the control panel and pushing the button to allow his commands to be heard in the next room. He glanced briefly at the shocked and horrified looks on the other turtle's faces before turning his gaze to the youngest whose eyes were wide with fear and feelings of betrayal. Everything worked out perfectly.

"Do it."

As he sounded the command, he brought up the controls again, only this time he pressed a different button. The silence in the room was instantly chased away by frantic screaming and shouting.

"NO! RAPH, WHY -"

"DON'T DO IT! DON'T HURT HIM!"

"LEAVE HIM ALONE! _MIKEY!_"

At the sound of his youngest brother's name, Raphael's head shot up. Shredder grinned as the once proud turtle's eyes filled with horror as the looks on his brother's faces told him everything. Leo and Donnie were being held firmly in place while tears were streaming down his baby brother's cheeks. Rahzar's claws were raking down his arm, leaving long streaks of blood in their wake.

"MIKEY!" Raph tried to shake off the Footbots as he lifted his chained hands to pound on the glass. "NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? STOP!"

But the screams of pain refused to cease as the mutant wolf gripped the young turtle by his neck and slammed him hard against the wall. Michelangelo struggled briefly before his tormentor growled and sent a swift kick to the turtle's knees, shattering the bone instantly. Letting go, Mikey dropped to the floor like a dead weight, his broken legs buckling beneath him at unnatural angles.

"No..." Raphael was openly crying now as he could only stand by utterly helpless as Rahzar stomped harshly on his brother's chest with a toothy grin. Flexing his claws, he whipped them around, sending the sharp, pointed tips sailing until they struck the young turtle's thighs. He then lifted his foot and slammed it down on the bleeding legs, digging them in even deeper as the cries of agony echoed around him.

After a brief pause, the large wolf suddenly grabbed the chains around Michelangelo's wrists and held him high above his head. With the legs thoroughly bloodied and broken, Rahzar had apparently decided it was time to move on. He laughed as he raised a clawed finger and slowly began to bore holes one by one through the young turtle's plastron. Each prick left trickles of blood flowing down his body until it almost looked as if he'd been riddled with bullets before, growing bored with the creeping pace, he suddenly drew back his arm at slashed at the turtle's chest. He continued to scratch at his plastron as blood splattered across his crooked smile until he noticed the size of the pool of the thick, red liquid around his feet. His fun was almost to an end.

Unwilling for it to be over just yet, Rahzar studied his prey. Michelangelo's head was hanging to his chest, little more than a constant pained moan escaping from his mouth.

"Look at me."

The order was ignored. Growling in frustration, he tossed the turtle back to the ground and used his claws to force one of his eyes open.

"I said look at me!"

The blue eye was open just long enough to see the sharp claw headed it's way. The once pure orb was hurtling across the room before he had a chance to react. One last agonizing scream tore from the turtle's throat as the mutant wolf propped him up, finally ready to end it. Holding his shoulder steady with one clawed hand, he tightly gripped the edge of his shell with the other.

"No... No, stop... please... just please stop..."

Raphael's pitiful mutterings were like sweet music to Shredder's ears, and as he watched Rahzar rip the turtle's shell from his back with a splash of blood, he sighed in triumph. Everything had gone exactly according to plan, the thud of Michelangelo's body being discarded into the pool of his own blood adding the perfect final touch.

It was several long, quiet moments before Raphael at last spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Liar."

Shredder merely waited patiently for what he knew would be coming next.

"You LIAR!"

The furious turtle lunged at his captor, but the Footbots quickly restrained him before he could reach the ninja master. His eyes were wild with grief and anger, his cheeks stained with tears that refused to cease.

"YOU TOLD ME TO CHOOSE! I CHOSE MIKEY! HE WAS SUPPOSED TO LIVE, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Calmly closing the distance between him and the turtle, he held up the control panel, making a show of pressing the button to turn off the speakers in the room.

"You forget that I have full control over these two rooms," he chided as if talking to a small child, "I indeed heard you choose to spare Michelangelo's life. Perhaps Bradford did not hear the same."

Pressing another button, the overhead lights in the room suddenly shown full force while the ones in the cell dimmed. Raph shut his eyes tightly at the sudden brightness.

"And if Bradford heard you call for an end to your brother's life, then I should think that everyone else in the cell did as well."

Shredder grinned as Raph's eyes instantly shot back open, widening as the true meaning of his words dawned on him. Turning back toward the glass it was obvious that the effects of the two-way mirror had been negated by the changed lighting, for there stood Leo and Donnie, still held in place by their captors, but their accusing eyes were staring directly at Raphael through the window. This wasn't anger; this was hatred.

Older brothers could be so predictable. When given the chance to save one, the obvious choice was the youngest, the most cheerful, in an attempt to spare him from pain. Twisting Leonardo's and Donatello's perception to believe that their brother had wished the most innocent one be condemned to death had been all too easy. It was simply a matter of choosing his words carefully and biding his time for the right moment. But the part that made it truly work was that Raphael had no way of trying to explain himself, for as soon as he made the attempt he would be forced to admit that he'd rather they both be dead so only Michelangelo could have lived.

"Why didn't you just kill all of us?"

Shredder's eyes narrowed at the question. The answer was obvious.

"Now you will know how it feels."

Tearing his defeated gaze away from the glass, Raph turned as Shredder spoke. He was gripping the control panel tightly.

"Killing you would be a swift end. Hamato Yoshi is dead. I am in no hurry to send you to him. No, I want you all to suffer as I have."

Raphael stared at him blankly as he continued, his voice growing in intensity.

"Karai was my daughter. I raised her, cared for her since she was a mere infant. But the four of you turned her against me. She betrayed me and the entire Foot Clan. I was forced to kill her, my own daughter, because of you wretched turtles!"

Without thinking, he drew back a fist and punched Raphael in the face, the tip of his clawed armor scratching the turtle's forehead. Taking a step back to calm himself, he watched as blood flowed from the cut and down the green face before mixing with his unending tears. He drew in a deep breath.

"Now you shall know what it feels like to have the blood of one of your own on your hands."

Turning abruptly, he pressed the buttons to turn both sets of speakers back on before unceremoniously dropping the device on the floor with a crack.

"Tiger Claw, Bradford, Xever, leave them and come with me. I have no further use for them. I am returning to Japan. I want to leave this miserable city as soon as possible."

As he reached the door however, he stopped, hand on the doorknob. He turned back.

"And cut out his tongue before you leave. I will not hear any more of his insufferable babbling should they decide to waste their lives on a suicidal revenge mission."

Shredder caught the wide grin that Fishface flashed him as he flicked out his knife. Wrenching the heavy door open with a loud screech, his footsteps were drowned out by the screams as the loyal mutant did as he was told, the sound bringing a calm smile back to his masked face.

* * *

A/N: I'm gonna admit it: that was hard to write. I've never done anything like that before, but I wanted to push myself to try something new. I'm curious to know what people think.

As always, critics and grammar police appreciated!


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